Human Origins & Adaptations

Darwin (1859)

 Origin of Species → natural selection

Evolution

genetic change in population over time

Natural Selection

survival of traits that help reproduction

Natural Selection example

camouflage, drug resistance

Primate traits (humans)

 opposable thumbs, stereoscopic vision, color vision, bipedalism, large brain

Reductionism

 study small parts to explain complex whole

Holism

whole organism > sum of parts

 Anatomical variation

differences are normal (ex: extra vertebrae, situs inversus)

Who wrote On the Origin of Species?

Charles Darwin (1859).

What is evolution?

Genetic change in a population over time

What is natural selection?

Traits that help survival/reproduction are passed on.

Name 3 human/primate adaptations

Opposable thumbs, forward-facing eyes (depth perception), large brain, bipedalism, color vision.

List the hierarchy of complexity from largest to smallest

Organism → Organ system → Organ → Tissue → Cell → Organelle → Molecule → Atom.

How many organ systems are in the body?

11

Name the 4 primary tissue types.

Epithelial, Connective, Nervous, Muscular.

What is reductionism?

Understanding a complex system by studying simpler parts

What is holism?

The whole organism is more than the sum of its parts.

What is situs inversus?

A left–right reversal of organ placement.

Darwin’s theory of evolution

natural selection

Evolution

 genetic change in population over time

Primate traits

 opposable thumbs, stereoscopic vision, bipedalism, large brain

Hierarchy of Complexity

Organism → Organ system (11) → Organ → Tissue (4) → Cell → Organelle → Molecule → Atom

Reductionism

 study small parts

Holism

whole > sum of parts

Anatomical variation

differences are normal (ex: situs inversus)

Name the 11 organ systems

integumentary, Skeletal, Muscular, Nervous, Endocrine, Circulatory, Respiratory, Digestive, Urinary, Reproductive, Lymphatic.

 Name the 4 primary tissue types

Epithelial, Connective, Nervous, Muscular.